Mount Holyoke College

The Mount Holyoke scholarship applications are accepted on a rolling basis, on a first-come, first serve basis. For evaluation Mount Holyoke prefers a holistic approach based on academic performance, student’s interest, and experience relative to the program. They prefer judging academic performance by grades on individual courses, overall GPA, accreditation status of prior colleges/universities attended, standardized test scores, language proficiency, strength of recommendation letters, and additional criteria specified by the academic program. They assess interest and experience relative to the programme through the personal essay, history of prior research and work experience, and in some cases, through personal interviews. 

Also read: Scholarships to study in USA

College of Holy Cross is way better than Mount Holyoke College. After comparing both colleges, Mount Holyoke College has limited facilities, is expensive, and has a lower Graduation rate.

Below is the comparison between Mount Holyoke College and College of Holy Cross in different aspects:

Cost: Mount Holyoke College is 0.9% more expensive than the College of Holy Cross based on tuition fees, living costs, and financial aid.

Acceptance rate: Both colleges have an acceptance rate of around 40% which is quite hard to get in. But the College of Holy Cross accepts cis males which they are not allowed in Mount Holyoke. Also, Mount Holyoke's acceptance rate depends upon the written essays than the standardized exam score.

Outcome: The College of Holy Cross has a higher graduation rate than Mount Holyoke College. Also, the average median salary of College of Holy Cross graduates is more than that of Mount Holyoke College.

Mount Holyoke College application process for the UG course has the following steps:

Step 1: Fill out the common or coalition form- International students have to provide professionally translated copies of secondary school documents and letter of recommendation if their documents are present in another language. Also, they need to submit their standardized test score and English proficiency test scores on the student portal.

Step 2: Provide a counselor recommendation and two teacher evaluation forms.

Step 3: Submit fees: International student has to give USD 60 (INR 4976) for the MHC application fee. (USD 1=82.95)

Step 4: Waiting for decision: After submitting the Mount Holyoke College application form, international students need to wait for the college's decision.

Mount Holyoke College application requires the following documents from international students:

Translation form: If an international student has secondary school documents and a letter of recommendation in another language than English, they need to submit professionally translated documents.

Official documents: International students must have transcripts, standardized test scores, and English proficiency test scores as official documents. For English proficiency tests, they consider Cambridge Academic English, Duolingo English Test, IELTS, Pearson, and TOEFL scores to be self-uploaded on the applicant portal. Also, the SAT or ACT score uploaded on a common app or coalition app will be considered.

Also read: What are academic transcripts?

There is no basic formula to get Mount Holyoke College admission but international students can consider the following things to make their application noticed:

Good grades: Try to obtain and maintain good grades in academics as this is the most crucial factor in any international student application.

High GPA and SAT score: SAT score or having a high GPA is optional unless a student is good at essay or writing skills. However, if a student obtains a high GPA or SAT score, it will reflect positively.

Extracurricular activities: Take part in extracurricular activities, especially in the fields you want to get into. This gives your statement more assurance that it is accurate.

Convincing essays: An international student needs to improve their writing skill, especially essays. Try to write a convincing essay about why Mount Holyoke. How you are suitable to get into it.

Below are some useful tips for international students starting their first semester at Mount Holyoke College:

Attend seminar classes: There are many repetitive orientation things but make sure to attend those seminar classes to have a clear vision. Also, students must participate in classes for Fencing, Costume Design (in the Theater department), and Exploration of Mars.

Explore events: Mount Holyoke College provides an occasional event list. As a first-year student, you must attend a few of them of your interest and get comfortable with time.

Roommate agreement: Sign at least one roommate agreement to have a living document. In case of any trouble, students can take a stand for themselves.

Explore club life: Do not either exceed your limit or get afraid of joining clubs. There are many clubs near the campus. International students can sign in to their emails if interested.